1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing unit comprising a series of processing apparatuses for performing a series of processes or treatments on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, and to a processing unit structure constructed by assembling the processing apparatuses mentioned above
2. Description of Related Art
A number of processes are necessitated for forming integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer or for forming elements such as TFTS, etc., on a glass substrate.
For instance, a process for forming an exciter resist filn layer on a surface of a substrate is one example. Here, the substrate must be treated through the following or other processes, dehydration baking, BARC (bottom anti-reflection coating), baking, a pre-process of resist application, resist application, pre-baking, exposure, post-exposure baking (PEB), developing, and post-baking.
For performing such processes as mentioned above continuously, according the conventional art, apparatuses or devices for each process are separately aligned in a horizontal direction, in an assembly line-like fashion and in sequential order thereof. However, the process line configuration is not always of a straight assembly line-like shape, but it sometimes also takes an "L" shape ot a rectangular shape depending on, or fitting for, the configuration of the manufacturing works or facilities.
As mentioned above, the conventional apparatuses or facilities for processing semiconductor waters or glass substrates extend continuously in the horizontal direction, and therefore the area occupied there by becomes relatively large.
Further sometimes, some of the processing apparatuses or facilities must be removed or new ones additionally be connected to those which are previously provided because a processor part of the process should be omitted or a new process be newly added thereto. However, with the processing process of the conventional art, it is very difficult to add and remove the processing apparatus or facelities.